LAUREL SOUND STUDIOS
Hertfordshire, UK
About
Welcome to Laurel Sound. We are based in a rural Hertfordshire village 30 miles north of London, less than half an hour away by train. This lovely old red brick building is where I record and produce all kinds of interesting artists with the help of my small and very talented team.
I started out life as a session musician, playing keyboards for big names like Kylie and Rick Astley amongst many others, and I got a very generous serving of touring experience, plus I found myself in many recording studios. I always intended to move into production, and when I did in 2010 I had a very clearly formed idea of the kind of space and ambience I wanted in my own studio. Having great gear is a given, but as an artist myself I know how important it is to feel right in your surroundings. The vibe we have created here at Laurel Sound is special; homely, relaxing, and creative…and it has been used numerous times as a filming location by our artists too.
If you want to read equipment lists, they’re here on the site, but the essence of recording at Laurel Sound is that you are working with myself and my team to get your music to where you want it. Our approach is based on listening to you, and understanding everything that you as the artist want, then we make it happen. How? we play all the instruments needed, collaborate with you on your overall sound, and give you helpful advice along the way, all resulting in a fully mixed and mastered release-ready end product, whether Album, EP or single song.
Remote sessions: If you are one of the many artists out there with your own setup we offer a full remote session service: This can be anything from keyboards, programming, live (or programmed) kit, percussion, bass guitar, electric & acoustic guitar, pedal steel, brass, strings, plus of course vocals / bvs. Just get in touch and we can talk about what you need…because it is remote you can be anywhere in the world…as are in fact many of our clients!
INSTRUMENTS & GEAR:
Over the years I have accumulated a great collection of instruments, vintage amps, and a cool array of guitar effect pedals. On the synth side of things we have all bases covered between our real and plug in worlds.
Our microphone collection is extensive, and thanks to the space, we are set up to record live bands if need be.
Phil Taylor
Quotes
“All I have to say is that Phil is the ‘Lord Of The Chords’ - an incredible multi instrumentalist, arranger, producer, songwriter and human.”
— Fraser T Smith - Producer/Songwriter (Adele, Stormzy, Kasabian)
“Really talented Song Writers and Musicians who I’ve had the pleasure of working with both in the studio and on stage. I believe they have a great contribution to make to contemporary alternative music”
— Blaine Harrison - Mystery Jets
“Extremely gifted musicians with an original twist on anything that they do. Their dedication to getting something right is inexhaustible.”
— Kipper - Producer/Songwriter (Sting, Gary Numan)
“These guys are just amazing at what they're doing all around. They have a brilliant feel and sound on their instruments and are great at working to a brief. They can write, produce and mix, and are a great vibe to be around.”
— Sebastian (Sony/Columbia Records)